Top 10 Best Teen Books of 2012: In other worlds

"Do fantasy and science fiction--or their cousins, paranormal and dystopian fiction--float your boat? Climb aboard a few of these books."  Try this link:

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/lists/best-teen-books-2012-other-worlds/

War Nurse

War Nurse

One War. One promise. One diary. And death around every corner.

War Nurse by Sue Reid is a truly amazing novel. Published by Scholastic Ltd, 2005 in the United Kingdom, this book is all about a Second World War nurses’ diary. As soon as I picked this book up, I found it so engaging, I was hooked from the first page, and I hardly ever stopped to put the book down.

Set in the time of World War Two England, this moving and gripping book tells the compelling story of Kitty Langley and her struggle to survive as the War rages on. More wounded men are arriving every day, and the little hospital on the coast can only hold and care for so many. The nurses work for hours on end, and for many it’s the first glimpse of the real horrors of war. Sadness is etched on to every nurse’s face, with so many soldiers dying. But it’s not only the soldiers. Friends, family and relatives are also being killed. Kitty often asks the question: When will this bloodthirsty battle end? However, until it does, life must go on.

In the book, we follow the life of Kitty Langley, and as a new nurse, she also is finding it difficult to cope with the deaths, sadness and despair in her small hospital. She desperately tries to manage and put on a good face for everyone else, but it is all too much. When the air raid alarms sounded for the 100^th time, Kitty was sure that it was just another false alarm.  Rumour has it that an invasion is due any day now, but when planes started droning overhead, Kitty realises that the hospital is very vulnerable.

Sue Reid has also written several other books based on major historical events, but this one is the best by far. She has also written Pompeii, a young Roman girl’s diary of the events before and after the eruption of Vesuvius. I really enjoy her writing style as her sentences are diverse and complex.  She writes in the first person, so we see events through the eyes of the main character.  Another aspect that makes her writing different is that she seems to perfect in how to incorporate real historical figures and statistics into the book in a relevant and interesting way. So, I got my history lesson as well as a great read!

In conclusion, War Nurse’s thrilling, sad and desperate plot makes it a remarkable novel based on an all too real time in our history. Any girl looking for a thrilling novel with a twist of history should look no further. This book is a great break from all the vampire and romantic novels. I strongly suggest you read this book as it is nothing short of astonishing. So, keep calm and carry on reading!

Lilly, MS

The Knights of the Cross

The Knights of the Cross

By Henryk Sienkiewicz

 “The Knights of the Cross,” written by Henryk Sienkiewicz, is a historical fiction novel. The book focuses on the key events of one of the greatest conflicts of medieval Europe: The Battle of Grunwald between the Polish King and the Teutonic Order of Knights (The Holy German Order, which was asked by Christian Poland to help it fight against Pagan Lithuania). Henryk Sienkiewicz was a 19^th century noble prize winner. He lived in the times of the partitions of Poland between the Russian, German and Austrian empires. It was written to strengthen the Polish patriotism as well as the determination and hope for regaining independence. The book that I have read is the 41^st edition published in Warsaw, Poland in 1988.  The reading was fascinating for me; it was characterized by well-built suspense, cunningly planned intrigues, as well as richly described close combat battles. This literally piece of art was translated into many languages including English.

The book is set in medieval Poland, which back then is a powerful European country both politically and militarily. It is a time of greatness after a Lithuanian Grand Prince Wladyslaw Jagiello has become the King of Poland by marrying Jadwiga - the Polish Queen. He agreed for the baptizing of Lithuania, changing it from Poland’s fiercest enemy to its greatest ally.

 The book tells the story of two Polish knights: Zbyszko and his uncle, Macko. Both returning home from a war with Germany in Lithuania, on their way home, they meet a court of an aristocrat Lady from one of the Polish counties - Mazovia. Zbyszko falls in love with one of the ladies in waiting called Danuta, and proposes to her. The lady agrees. Danuta, appears to be a daughter of a famous Mazovian knight called Jurand, who is also known as the Vanquisher of the Germans. The knight is well known for his hatred of the nation after they killed his wife. Zbyszko, moved by the story, promises Danuta “three German helmets” and decides to travel with the court to the Polish Capital -Krakow. He notices a Teutonic knight on his way to the city. Zbyszko charges at the knight as he had promised his beloved Danuta. It then turnes out that the knight was a diplomat sent to Krakow to meet the King. Unfortunately, the penalty of assaulting a diplomat is death. While Zbyszko is awaiting his execution in the Krakow keep he is unaware that the Teutonic order will soon attempt to kidnap Danuta in order to capture her famous father Jurand. Will the story be finished by an executioner’s axe, will the Teutonic order manage to kidnap Danuta and capture Jurand? The book is definitely worth reading to find it all out.

Sienkiewicz’s work is based on true historical facts. The main characters’ adventures are a fiction, which mysterious plot, suspense as well as complicated intrigues seem to be timeless; it could happen at any time and place. “The Knights of the Cross” was a nice holiday break from the fast paced modern action or fantasy novels, which are my common reading.

Artemis Fowl

                                    Artemis Fowl

When I first read Artemis Fowl, I knew that I would be awake past my curfew, since I was hooked onto the book. Artemis Fowl was written by Eoin Colfer and published by Hyperion Books in New York in 2002. Since then, Eoin Colfer has added seven more books to the Artemis Fowl series, with the eight and last book released only a few weeks ago. In my opinion, I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, which I already have (and coincidentally, it was a friend who introduced me to this book).

In present day Ireland, there is a 12-year-old millionaire child prodigy, named Artemis Fowl. He has a devious plan to kidnap Captain Holly Short, the first female LEPrecon unit officer. In order to avoid the fairy world being exposed, Commander Julius Roots and co. must give Artemis Fowl one ton of 24 small unmarked gold ingots. Only with eight hours to solve this crisis, thanks to a fairy invention called time-stopping, can the LEPrecon unit get Captain Holly Short back the fairy world or will Artemis Fowl out-smart the fairies?

Artemis Fowl, a cold-hearted, evil genius executed his ingenious plan to kidnap a fairy. In order for him to succeed with his plan, he must defeat the LEPrecon with the help of his bulky bodyguard, Butler. The reason why Artemis needs the gold is because he wants to find his assumedly-dead father, whose last known position was in Russian seas. Artemis Fowl, having a persistent personality, will do anything to find his father, even if it means harming other creatures.

  

Artemis Fowl is similar to many well-known teen fiction books, such as Percy Jackson, Hunger Games and Skulduggery Pleasant series (all of which I have read). Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson and Skulduggery Pleasant series all have that concept of inter-species war, which is rapidly becoming incredibly popular nowadays. Even books like the Twilight series (which I strongly dislike) have that idea. Although Hunger Games series does not have the inter-species war topic, Artemis Fowl and Hunger Games series both have a fast-paced and exhilarating narrative. I have read a number of books (all of which are books that are currently in trend), and I can easily say that Artemis Fowl cracks my top 10 favourite books list.

Artemis Fowl is an exceptional book with a great assembled cast of characters and a fresh, new and original plot. I would recommend for people to read this book if they love fantasy and are bored by long and dull books (some examples being Harry Potter and Twilight series). Even if you don’t adore the genre of fantasy, this book is still brilliant. I trust you will take my advice to read Artemis Fowl. As a wicked criminal mastermind once said, “Trust me, I haven’t been wrong yet.”

By Julienne, MS 

Class A

From the beginning of Class A, I could not put the book down. It is a great read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike many others, this book had an exciting beginning, which I think is very good. This is the 2^nd book in a series called Cherub. There are 12 books in this series and Class A is one of the best, in my opinion. That said, they’re all amazing.

So, you might be asking yourself, what is Cherub, and what are the books about? Well, Cherub is a secret organization like the CIA where kids aged 10-17 go on missions as undercover agents to take down unsuspecting criminals. The main character in the series is a boy named James Adams. His mom dies and he is sent to a foster home before being recruited by Cherub. He is 12 at the time and the series ends when he is 17.

Class A is about James and three of his friends as they go undercover to try and shut down KMG (Keith Moore’s Gang). KMG is a gang that deals drugs. Specifically, they deal cocaine, which is a class, A drug. James gets involved in delivering drugs and gets extremely close to taking drugs.. He makes rounds as a delivery boy earning extra money and working up the rank in KMG. Other agents on the mission are Kerry who is one year younger than James, Kyle who is the oldest and Nicole who is the same age as James. James gets involved with Junior who is Keith’s son.  During the storyline secrets are spilled and friendships are tested. What do I mean by this?  Well, perhaps you better read the book.

In conclusion, Class A is an amazing book just like the rest of the Cherub series. I give the book 5 stars ★★★★★ along with the entire series. I would recommend the series to any boy aged 12+ and no one below as it is not suitable for younger readers. The series is action packed and a complete page-turner. As soon as you finish the final book you will be sad because you will know that the adventures of James Robert Anthony Adams are over.

Aidan, MS

The Sleepwalkeer

The Sleepwalker 

Are you tired of the same old romance and spy novels? Here is a very special one that might just get you back into a reading groove. The Sleepwalker is a fiction novel by Robert Muchamore. It was published by Hodder and Stoughton. It was first published in London in 2004. This book is a compelling, page turning, action book that is realistic and often writes about relatable topics. It is generally suited for young adults from twelve onwards.

            The main characters in The Sleepwalker are Jake, Lauren, James, Fahim, and Kerry. James, Lauren, Kerry, and Jake are all CHERUB agents. CHERUB agents are orphans who go on special missions to take down bad guys and fight crime. Sounds cliché? It’s not. It’s set in England, but the missions differ in location from Australia to Canada. CHERUB agents have to undergo a one hundred day basic training, which prepares them for anything they might face on a mission. They are used because villains of the world never suspect that children could be spying on them.

Robert Muchamore is an English writer. He has not written any pieces other than CHERUB related books, though that includes three series, the last book of the third one coming out next September.

            In The Sleepwalker, Jake and Lauren go on a mission to befriend Fahim; a rich teen who thinks his father might have something to do with a plane crash. Their mission becomes more when they find out more from Fahim’s dad. Their problem? Fahim is an uncontrollable rich teen with psychological problems. Meanwhile, James and Kerry are assigned work experience, but it takes an unexpected turn when they make friends with fellow co-worker Gemma.

            In conclusion, I think The Sleepwalker is a very good book. I loved the book, as I found it quite personable and had little dragging on and really got to the point, which is nice as it is a teen-suited book. Muchamore also found ways to keep twisting the plot to make it seem more interesting and exiting. A complaint that could be made about CHERUB is that a lot of the books can seem generic or replicable, as there are a lot in the series and they can seem similar. There are many better books in the series, but it is an interesting one. Make sure you try out the rest of the CHERUB series; the first book is The Recruit. 

Liam, MS

Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer

                Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer 

Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy is a great book in my opinion. This book was published by Harper Collins Books in Great Britain in the year 2011. I loved the book, but felt that you need to read the series in order to understand a lot of the references in the Skulduggery Pleasant series. Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer makes a fantastic mix of magic, adventure, and mystery in present-day Ireland, so it is quite realistic (apart from the magic use).

                                 

            Set in present-day Dublin, a reporter, Kenny Dunne, hears a rumor of magic being used, so he goes to see his informant, a homeless man named Paul Lynch. When Kenny finds Paul, his throat is slit, so Kenny is questioned by one Detective Inspector Me (Skulduggery Pleasant) and his apprentice (Valkyrie). After learning they were not actually detectives, Kenny goes on a quest to find what is really happening in Dublin, but Skulduggery, Valkyrie, and their team is having problems of their own. These problems include a crazy society of necromancers (Dark Magicians), a super powerful girl with extreme necromancy talent who tries to kill them, and a plot to kill nearly half the world’s population.

I must say, of all the characters I enjoyed Skulduggery and Valkyrie the most. I like Skulduggery because he always brings humor by stating any of the unusual things that pop into his head, whether it’s calling a child ugly in front of his father, or calling a deadly assassin cuddly, he’s always doing something funny. I also liked Valkyrie because whenever she’s around, there is usually conflict of some sort going on, whether it’s in her mind, or with magical powers; it seems like whenever she’s around, fighting is sure to follow.

To reiterate, Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer  is very funny, has a lot of conflicts, and definitely some emotional scenes from time to time. I definitely enjoyed this book and series, and am currently awaiting the seventh book. This series is one of a kind, due to the amazing humor and great conflicts, and I would definitely recommend this book to nearly all readers.

Jake, MS